Americans United - Religious Mottos, Pledges and Resolutions (outside schools)https://au.org/issues/religious-mottos-pledges-and-resolutions-outside-schools
Religious phrases such as “In God We Trust” on currency and “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance have survived court scrutiny, having been declared ceremonial and broadly non-sectarian. No student can be forced to recite the Pledge. Most courts, however, have refused to declare that recitation of the Pledge is unconstitutional due to its religious content. (It should be noted that these practices did not originate during America’s founding period. “Under God” was added to the Pledge in 1954.” The phrase “In God We Trust” first began appearing on coins during the Civil war but was not mandated on paper money until 1956.)
enSymbols and Civil Religionhttps://au.org/church-state/march-2015-church-state/featured/symbols-and-civil-religion
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Some very powerful people in the United States see absolutely nothing wrong with generalized government endorsement of religious belief.</p><p>“I think the main fight is to dissuade Americans from what the secularists are trying to persuade them to be true: that the separation of church and state means that the government cannot favor religion over non-religion,” U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said in an Oct. 1 speech at Colorado Christian University. “We do Him [God] honor in our Pledge of Allegiance, in all our public ceremonies. There’s nothing wrong with that. It is in the best of American traditions, and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. I think we have to fight that tendency of the secularists to impose it on all of us through the Constitution.”</p><p>Scalia, a staunch Catholic known for his hostility toward strict church-state separation, has at times promoted a doctrine called “ceremonial deism” – a term generally interpreted to mean government endorsement of generic forms of religion for mostly ceremonial purposes.</p><p>Ceremonial deism, also sometimes called “civil religion,” is a phrase coined by Eugene Rostow, former dean of Yale Law School, in a 1962 lecture. Rostow defined the term as government-sponsored religious speech that was “so conventional and uncontroversial as to be constitutional.”</p><p>The term was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1984 case <em>Lynch v. Donnelly</em>. In that 5-4 decision, the high court said a government-sponsored nativity scene that also included reindeer and candy canes was constitutional.</p><p>In <em>Lynch</em>, the phrase actually appeared in the dissent by Justice Wil­liam Brennan. Although generally a strong supporter of church-state separation, Brennan wrote that some religious displays could be permissible under the First Amendment. He asserted that certain official mentions of a deity, including the use of “In God We Trust” as the national motto, “can best be understood, in Dean Rostow’s apt phrase, as a form of ‘ceremonial deism,’ protected from [legal] scrutiny chiefly because they have lost through rote repetition any significant religious content.”</p><p>But much has changed since Rostow’s speech and even since the <em>Lynch</em> ruling. An America that was once largely Protestant and church-going has become more diverse and more secular; church membership rates have plummeted, and growing numbers of Americans call themselves “spiritual but not religious.” In light of these changes, more and more critics are asking if ceremonial deism has outlived its usefulness – and if it ever had any.</p><p>Over the years, the concept has been employed by the Supreme Court and lower federal courts to create carve-outs and exemptions for government-sponsored religion. That has led to an increase in official endorsement of faith over non-faith, with some opponents arguing that the nation’s <em>de facto</em> established religion is a watered-down endorsement of a generic god.</p><p>The high court seems to allow this creeping ceremonial deism based on the assumption that no one is truly harmed by it. But as the nation becomes more diverse and the percentage of “nones” – those who say they hold no formal religious beliefs – continues to rise, more and more people are questioning the assertion that generic religiosity isn’t a problem.</p><p>“Nearly everyone is harmed by ceremonial deism rulings,” Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association, told <em>Church &amp; State</em>. “Atheists and humanists are considered second-class citizens whose families’ opinions are disregarded in an attempt to appease the majority. Progressive religious folks who don’t want government intruding into the religious sphere are ignored. Strongly faithful folks see their faith diminished as ceremonial.”</p><p>As the concept of ceremonial deism grew, it was seized upon by the conservative wing of the court to put a stamp of approval on questionable practices that go way beyond a reference to God on a dollar bill. </p><p>When the Supreme Court considered the Americans United-sponsored case <em>Town of</em> <em>Greece v. Galloway</em> last year and ultimately decided that local governments may open meetings with prayers that are predominantly Christian, it did so partly on the basis of America’s supposed “tradition” of legislative prayer.</p><p>Writing for the 5-4 majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy opined, “Legislative prayer, while religious in nature, has long been understood as compatible with the [First Amendment].”</p><p>Kennedy noted that an early Senate chaplain, the Rev. William White, “gave prayers in a series that included the Lord’s Prayer, the Collect for Ash Wednesday, prayers for peace and grace, a general thanksgiving, St. Chry­­sostom’s Prayer, and a prayer seeking ‘the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, &amp;c.’ The decidedly Christian nature of these prayers must not be dismissed as the relic of a time when our Nation was less pluralistic than it is today.”</p><p>White, an Episcopalian who was the first Bishop of Pennsylvania, became Senate Chaplain in 1790 and served in that post until 1800. In Kennedy’s mind, being one of the first in that position apparently gave White the right to establish prayer protocol for the next 200 years – even though the Constitution grants no government employees such privilege.</p><p>Michael I. Meyerson, a law professor at the University of Baltimore whose book <em>Endowed by Our Creator: The Birth of Religious Freedom in America</em>, was quoted (or in Meyerson’s view, misquoted) by Kennedy in his <em>Greece</em> opinion, told <em>Church &amp; State</em> that the high court got it all wrong.</p><p>“<em>Greece</em>, that’s just an easy case,” Meyerson said. “Everyone agrees that’s a bad decision.”</p><p>The reason the Supreme Court got it wrong, Meyerson said, is because of a failure by the majority of the justices to distinguish between respectful and disrespectful intent. Meyerson said he thinks some forms of ceremonial deism are respectful and therefore are permissible under the Constitution, such as when sessions of the Supreme Court open with a traditional chant that ends in “God save the United States and this honorable court!” But when the town of Greece chose to open its meetings with predominantly Christian prayers, that was another matter.</p><p>“There is no doubt the town of Greece was wrong because there is no doubt it was forcing religion on its citizens,” Meyerson said.</p><p>It is in this world governed by ceremonial deism and tradition that we now reside – and that isn’t always a good thing for anyone who values church-state separation.</p><p>Among the best-known “traditions” in the United States is the National Day of Prayer (NDP). The NDP dates all the way back to 1952, when President Harry S. Truman signed a joint congressional resolution to create it. But it was not until 1988 that President Ronald W. Reagan signed a law establishing the NDP on the first Thursday in May. Since then, presidents have issued a proclamation on that day annually in which they encourage the entire nation to pray to God.</p><p>In 2014, President Barack Obama’s proclamation read in part, “I invite the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, in accordance with their own faiths and consciences, for our many freedoms and blessings, and I join all people of faith in asking for God’s continued guidance, mercy, and protection as we seek a more just world.” </p><p>These types of government-backed calls to prayer are common at the state level as well. In conjunction with the NDP, governors typically issue prayer proclamations of their own. Critics say these are every bit as problematic as the president’s version because they encourage citizens, even non-believers, to pray and engage in other religious activities. The implication, secular-minded people say, is that those who choose not to participate are somehow lesser citizens.</p><p>In Colorado, for example, Gov. John Hickenlooper’s 2013 proclamation described prayer as a unifying force – and included a Bible verse.</p><p>The official proclamation lauded that the theme of the 2013 prayer day was “Pray for America” and noted that it was “supported by Matthew 12:21, which reminds us that ‘in His name nations will put their hope.’”</p><p>It went on to declare that “on this day, individuals across the state and nation will unite in prayer for our country, our people and our leaders….”</p><p>There are even some local-level proclamations. Consider a recent case in Alabama, in which a town proclaimed that it has a celestial landlord. In December, the Winfield City Council unanimously passed a resolution that “God is the owner of the City of Winfield and that it is a City under God. We acknowledge that at all times, He is in control.”</p><p>Although Winfield is a town of just 4,600 people, not everyone there was receptive to the council’s message. Adam Adkins, a resident who identifies as atheist, told <em>Church &amp; State</em> that he now feels unwelcome in the community.</p><p>“The moment that Winfield declared Christianity for its citizens is, by default, the moment that the government acknowledged other religions are wrong, thus making the individuals following those religions second-class citizens,” he said.</p><p>Mayor Randy Price nonetheless explained this bizarre declaration to the news website AL.com: “I feel like we need to stand up for what is right. Our forefathers said ‘One nation under God’ and we went so far away from that. There are not enough godly people involved in day-to-day decisions.”</p><p>Price, like a lot of Americans, seems confused about the origins of the phrase “One Nation Under God.” Contrary to his assertion, “under God” wasn’t added to the Pledge of Allegiance until 1954, and “In God We Trust” didn’t become the national motto until 1956 – more than 100 years after the Founding Fathers had died.</p><p>This inconvenient history hasn’t prevented some politicians from slapping “In God We Trust,” on as many city and county seals as they are able. One of the leaders of this movement is Jacquie Sullivan, a member of the city council in Bakersfield, Calif. Almost 15 years ago, Sullivan decided that every U.S. city and county should display signs reading, “In God We Trust.”</p><p>Sullivan got started by promoting the idea to local officials in her home state, but soon the movement had gone nationwide through a group she formed called In God We Trust-America, Inc. Sullivan has been very successful: At press time, her group’s website reported that 480 cities and counties display “In God We Trust” in some form.</p><p>Of course, not everyone agrees with Sullivan and her allies. In Allegheny County, Pa., for example, the county council voted 8-6 in 2014 not to display “In God We Trust” at the county courthouse.</p><p>Still others are taking to the courts to push back against ceremonial deism and supposed traditions of prayer – but without success. Atheist activist Michael Newdow has contested several instances of the federal government’s endorsement of belief over non-belief, including multiple lawsuits throughout the 2000s over the “In God We Trust” motto, “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and official prayers at presidential inaugurations.</p><p>Although the cases have not been successful, they do provide an insight into how courts view ceremonial deism. Increasingly, they are arguing that the use of phrases that contain references to a deity aren’t really religious!</p><p>“We hold that the Pledge of Allegiance does not violate the Establishment Clause because Congress’ ostensible and predominant purpose was to inspire patriotism and that the context of the Pledge – its wording as a whole, the preamble to the statute, and this nation’s history – demonstrate that it is a predominantly patriotic exercise,” said the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a majority opinion for <em>Newdow v. Carey</em> in 2010. “For these reasons, the phrase ‘one Nation under God’ does not turn this patriotic exercise into a religious activity.” </p><p>The following year, a panel of judges from the same appeals court dimissed a challenge to “In God We Trust” on U.S. currency. In the decision for <em>Newdow v. Lefevre</em>, Judge Carlos Bea wrote that the motto has a “patriotic or ceremonial character” and “has no theological or ritualistic impact.”</p><p>Language like this – which states that phrases that invoke the name of God no longer have religious meaning – should alarm religious conservatives. But it doesn’t. Religious Right groups have gone to the mat time and again to save ceremonial deism in court.</p><p>It’s often difficult these days to even secure the right to challenge ceremonial design in court. In a case challenging National Day of Prayer proclamations by Colorado governors, the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation found the courthouse door slammed in its face. The case, <em>Hickenlooper v. Freedom From Religion Foundation</em>, was tossed in January when the state’s top court said the group didn’t have the right to bring it.</p><p>“Although we do not question the sincerity of Respondents’ feelings, without more, their circuitous exposure to the honorary proclamations and concomitant belief that the proclamations expressed the Governor’s preference for religion is simply too indirect and incidental an injury to confer individual standing,” state Supreme Court Chief Justice Nancy E. Rice wrote.</p><p>That type of reasoning could make it hard to challenge even the Winfield, Ala., proclamation. Almost immediately after the city was formally handed over to God, the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama sent a letter explaining that the city council’s action likely violated the U.S. Constitution.</p><p>“As public officials sworn to uphold and defend the United States Constitution, I am sure that you are aware that the First Amendment prohibits government from taking any action toward establishment of religion,” ACLU Alabama Legal Director Randall C. Marshall said in the letter. “The Constitution protects private assertions of faith, but absolutely prohibits govern­ment involvement in those same matters. That prohibition extends both to religion in general and to particular belief systems such as Christianity. That the resolution is generic does not matter.”</p><p>But in court, the alleged generic nature of the proclamation and the excuse that it doesn’t actually require anyone to do anything might be enough to kill a legal challenge.</p><p>Motivated by courts’ unwillingness to take ceremonial deism seriously, those who seek carve outs from the principle of church-state separation have become increasingly brazen in their efforts to classify obvious religious symbols as generic objects fit for government use.</p><p>Recently, the federal government has argued that a towering Latin cross that sits atop Mt. Soledad in California is a generic symbol of military sacrifice – even though the Latin cross is the most recognizable symbol of Christianity.</p><p>In a legal brief filed in December on behalf of military historians in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Americans United said the Latin cross is a powerful symbol of the Christian religion that has rarely if ever been used by the military to mark the permanent graves of non-Christian soldiers. (The case, <em>Trunk v. City of San Diego</em>, has been ongoing for more than 20 years and remains pending.)</p><p>Observers agree that confusion is likely to abound on religious issues until courts begin taking challenges to ceremonial deism seriously and stop saying that some violation of church-state separation can be excused on the grounds of tradition.</p><p>“The justices proposed ceremonial deism but haven’t adopted a single standard,” Meyerson said. “It’s a hopeless muddle.”</p><p>Others expressed hope that ceremonial deism will one day be cast aside.</p><p>“I’m convinced that the rise of ceremonial deism won’t survive serious legal challenges,” Speckhardt said. “By arguing to preserve First Amendment separation of church and state, and also arguing for 14th Amendment equal protection rights for non-theists, the forced illogic of ceremonial deism will be undone.” </p></div></div><a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><h3 >Courts Have Tended To Uphold ‘Ceremonial’ Uses Of Religion By The Government, But Critics Say It’s Time To&nbsp;Reassess</h3><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Featured</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/prayer-at-government-events-and-legislative-meetings">Prayer at Government Events and Legislative Meetings</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-mottos-pledges-and-resolutions-outside-schools">Religious Mottos, Pledges and Resolutions (outside schools)</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10903" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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The <span class="cs-month field">March</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2015</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/civil-religion">civil religion</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/national-day-prayer">National Day of Prayer</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/god-we-trust">in god we trust</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pledge-allegiance">Pledge of Allegiance</a></span></div></div>Mon, 02 Mar 2015 15:15:00 +0000Timothy Ritz10905 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/march-2015-church-state/featured/symbols-and-civil-religion#commentsRead All About It!: State Legislators Propose Awarding The Bible Special Statushttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/read-all-about-it-state-legislators-propose-awarding-the-bible-special
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">We’re not sure who wrote the Bible – it was likely many different authors – but we can say with confidence that none of them lived in the South.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>A legislator in Tennessee has proposed <a href="http://www.wbir.com/story/news/politics/2015/02/11/lawmaker-wants-to-make-bible-official-book-of-tennessee/23230417/">naming the Bible</a> the state’s official book.</p><p>State Rep. Jerry Sexton says the proposal would simply acknowledge the Bible’s “historically important role.”</p><p>The suggestion is part of a mini-trend. Within the past year, similar bills were proposed in <a href="http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2015/01/two_mississippi_democrats_prop.html">Mississippi</a> and <a href="http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/04/louisiana_bible_state_book.html">Louisiana</a>. (The Louisiana measure was later withdrawn.)</p><p>There are several problems with these proposals. The church-state concerns are obvious. Allowing the government to single out a sectarian tome for special consideration sends a message to those who don’t venerate the Bible: You’re a second-class citizen. Plus, proposals like this are often just a way for the Christian majority to obnoxiously remind everyone who’s in charge.</p><p>Secondly, there is the problem of history. I don’t claim to be an expert on the history of any of these states, but I doubt the Bible played a major role in how any of them became a part of the United States. (In Louisiana’s case, I seem to recall something about <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/louisiana-purchase">some land</a> Thomas Jefferson purchased.) If you’re going to designate a state book, you should pick one that has some special meaning for the people who live there, some tie to the state’s history or culture.</p><p>I’m sure many people in Tennessee like the Bible. But the fact that many people in a state may like a thing is hardly reason to elevate it to official status. There should be a stronger connection. In my home state, Pennsylvania, the state animal is the white-tailed deer. There’s a reason for this: These deer are all over the state. My guess is that if you polled the people of Pennsylvania and asked them to name their favorite animal, most would name something else. Let’s say many named the wombat. Designating the wombat as Pennsylvania’s official animal would make no sense, as these critters are native to Australia.</p><p>That brings to me to my final point: going with the Bible slights the many authors who are either from these states or who have written about them in significant ways (or both). We’re not sure who wrote the Bible – it was likely many different authors – but we can say with confidence that none of them lived in the South.</p><p>There’s a real opportunity here to honor a favorite son or daughter. Why not go for it?</p><p>Here are <a href="http://www.tnvacation.com/music-arts/literary-arts/famous-writers/">some suggestions</a> for Tennessee. (I am partial to Robert Penn Warren.) Mississippi is a no-brainer: Go with one of <a href="http://www.olemiss.edu/mwp/dir/faulkner_william/">William Faulkner’s works</a>. As for Louisiana, my view is that you would be hard-pressed to find a more entertaining novel by a Pelican State author than John Kennedy Toole’s <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Confederacy-Dunces-John-Kennedy-Toole/dp/0802130208">A Confederacy of Dunces</a></em>, but Kate Chopin’s much more somber volume <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Awakening-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486277860">The Awakening</a></em> should also be considered.</p><p>Of course, none of these suggestions will be taken seriously if the purpose of these bills isn’t really to honor a writer or a book. If this is really about finding another way for the government to endorse or promote some legislator’s favorite religion, then we’re wasting our time.</p><p>If that’s the case, then the best thing to do would be to close the book on this whole business. </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-mottos-pledges-and-resolutions-outside-schools">Religious Mottos, Pledges and Resolutions (outside schools)</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tennessee">Tennessee</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/mississippi">Mississippi</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/louisiana">louisiana</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/william-faulkner">William Faulkner</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/john-kennedy-toole">John Kennedy Toole</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kate-chopin">Kate Chopin</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/jerry-sexton">Jerry Sexton</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/robert-penn-warren">Robert Penn Warren</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/a-confederacy-of-dunces">A Confederacy of Dunces</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/the-awakening-thomas-jefferson">the Awakening. Thomas Jefferson</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/wombats">wombats</a></span></div></div>Tue, 17 Feb 2015 16:11:40 +0000Rob Boston10888 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/read-all-about-it-state-legislators-propose-awarding-the-bible-special#commentsMyths Debunkedhttps://au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/featured/myths-debunked
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The United States was founded to be a Christian nation. Kids can’t pray in public schools. The Founding Fathers did not support separation of church and state.</p><p>These statements are articles of faith to the Religious Right. There is one problem with them, however: They’re all false.</p><p>Myths about separation of church and state and its role in American history abound. Over the years, Religious Right groups have constructed an entire false narrative to compete with the real story of religious freedom in America.</p><p>Under this faux-history, church-state separation was never the intention of the Founders, who yearned for an officially Christian America. The separation principle, the Religious Right argues, was imposed on the nation some years later by either the Supreme Court, “radical secularists” or communists – take your pick.</p><p>Many scholars have debunked this line of thinking over the years, yet it persists. Why?</p><p>For people involved with Religious Right groups, the phony “Christian nation” version of history fills a psychological need. It lets them know that they were right all along. It provides a comforting myth of religious supremacism to combat the multi-faith, multi-philosophy America that so many of them find troubling.</p><p>Followers of the Religious Right are probably a lost cause on this issue. Like creationists who find a way to ignore every piece of evidence for evolution, the “Christian nation” crowd will never be persuaded by facts.</p><p>Many more Americans probably haven’t given the matter much thought. They may have dim memories of history class where Pilgrims and Puritans were discussed, and they may know that the theocratic systems favored by those groups didn’t prevail. What they don’t know is how we got from there to where we are now – a nation with a secular constitution and complete religious freedom for all.</p><p>Some of these people are, unfortunately, susceptible to Religious Right propaganda. Not knowing the whole story of how church-state separation evolved and how it has been applied by the courts, they might fall for Religious Right distortions.</p><p>In a sound bite age, it’s important to make arguments as succinct as possible. In 1993, Americans United published a list of 10 common myths about separation of church and state. It proved to be a popular article that was reprinted as a brochure.</p><p>Now, 22 years later, Americans United has decided to revisit those myths. The following compilation contains some that were on the 1993 list, but others have been tweaked or are new. </p><p>Our goal remains the same: Religious Right groups tell lies about the separation of church and state. This is the information you need to combat them.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Myth One: Separation of church and state isn’t found in the U.S. Constitution. Rather, it is a modern invention of the Supreme Court, a communist idea, something Nazis concocted, etc.</strong></p><p>It’s hard to believe that some of these claims are taken seriously, but they are. The American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer, for example, has taken to claiming that Adolf Hitler invented separation of church and state! (Even a casual student of the history of Nazi Germany knows why this is false.)</p><p>Separation of church and state came about in America because during the colonial period there often was no separation, and this violated fundamental liberties. The system the Religious Right favors – church-state union – was tried in many colonies and found wanting.</p><p>Virginia led the way. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison worked together to disestablish the Anglican Church and pass legislation that extended true religious freedom to all. Some years later, it was Jefferson who penned the metaphor of the First Amendment erecting a “wall of separation between church and state.”</p><p>Jefferson’s metaphor resonated with the public and the courts. Thus, the phrase “separation of church and state” came into being as a short-hand way of describing the First Amendment’s religion clauses. As the eminent church-state scholar Leo Pfeffer once wrote, “[I]t was inevitable that some convenient term should come into existence to verbalize a principle so widely held by the American people.”</p><p>Key Founders backed the concept. Madison, known as the “Father of the Constitution” and a primary drafter of the Bill of Rights, used similar language. In Virginia, Madison noted that he and Jefferson had created the “total separation of the church from the state.” As president, Madison was a strict advocate of this principle. He vetoed legislation that would have given a church in Washington, D.C., a symbolic charter to care for the poor, and he vetoed legislation giving a federal land grant to a church. In both cases, Madison issued veto messages citing the First Amendment.</p><p>When Religious Right advocates attack church-state separation, their beef is not with Supreme Court justices, Joseph Stalin or Hitler. It is with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Myth Two: The United States was founded to be a Christian nation.</strong></p><p>This claim is easily debunked by referring to the text of the U.S. Constitution. If an officially Christian nation had been the Founders’ intent, the Constitution would say that explicitly. It doesn’t. In fact, it says the opposite.</p><p>Religion is referred to twice in the Constitution. The First Amendment bars laws “respecting an establishment of religion” and prohibiting “the free exercise thereof.” The first portion of this statement, which scholars call the Establishment Clause, cuts strongly against the notion of an officially Christian nation.</p><p>The second reference is often overlooked but is very important. Article VI contains language stating that “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” What the Founders did here was ban religious qualifications for federal office – that is, they made it illegal to require that a person hold certain religious beliefs as a qualification for public office.</p><p>Article VI ensures that all people – Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, etc. – can hold office at the federal level. It is impossible to square this language with the “Christian nation” concept.</p><p>Many conservative pastors of the post-Revolution era were well aware of the secular nature of the Constitution. They knew that the document did not establish an officially Christian nation. This angered them and led to a round of pulpit attacks on the “godless” Constitution.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Myth Three: Separation of church and state was originally intended to merely bar the creation of a national church.</strong></p><p>The text of the First Amendment goes way beyond simply banning a national church. The amendment prohibits all laws “respecting an establishment of religion.” James Madison, one of the chief drafters of the amendment, interpreted it broadly. Madison believed that tax funding of churches was unconstitutional and even concluded, later in his life, that official White House proclamations calling for days of prayer were a violation.</p><p>It is true that some colonies had official churches. But it’s worth noting that the religion enshrined in law varied from colony to colony. There was no agreement. Thus, a single established church was never a serious threat in the United States because there was great disagreement, mostly among the dominant Protestant sects, over which one was to be favored. Congregationalism reigned in New England, while the Anglican Church tended to dominate in the South. Maryland was a haven for Roman Cath­olics, and Pennsylvania vowed religious freedom for all (as did Rhode Island). This “multiplicity of sects,” as Thomas Jefferson called it, ensured an effective check on an officially established national church.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Myth Four: Most of the Founders were evangelical Christians and supported government promulgation of that mode of faith.</strong></p><p>Evangelicalism did take hold in the colonies in the post-Revolutionary era, but it was never embraced by key Founders. Rather, they tended to align with a rival school that sought to merge certain ethical principles of Christianity with the tenets of the Enlightenment, which stressed the primacy of science and reason.</p><p>Thomas Jefferson is a good example of a Founder who was greatly influenced by Enlightenment principles. Jefferson admired the moral teachings of Jesus but rejected his claims to divinity and the miracle stories of the New Testament. Jefferson created his own personal version of the scriptures by cutting away these portions of the Gospels and pasting up what was left with his own commentary.</p><p>Many Founders are identified as Deists, a theological school of thought that is less popular today. Deists believed in God but didn’t interpret the Bible in a literal fashion. They were skeptical of miraculous claims and sought to find a way to bring religion into alignment with the emerging scientific view of the world. </p><p>Some of the signers of the Constitution did undoubtedly hold traditional Christian beliefs. But this does not mean they supported merging church and state.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Myth Five: Mottos like “In God We Trust” on currency and “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance are evidence that separation of church and state was never intended.</strong></p><p>Both of these phrases are of much more recent origin than many people believe.</p><p>“In God We Trust” is familiar to most Americans because it appears on U.S. currency. But early American money did not carry this phrase. The Fugio cent, a penny authorized by Congress in 1787 and reportedly designed by Benjamin Franklin, contained the mottos “Mind Your Business” and “We Are One” – a reference to the 13 colonies.</p><p>“In God We Trust” didn’t appear on coins until the Civil War, when it was authorized for use on some coins minted in the North. The use of the phrase was sporadic on currency and was not codified until the 1950s. Around the same time, the phrase was adopted as the national motto. (“E Pluribus Unum” had been serving as an unofficial motto until then.) Many scholars believe that the adoption of these religious phrases was a reaction to the fight against “godless communism” during the Cold War.</p><p> The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a minister and a socialist. Bellamy wrote the Pledge to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the voyage of Christopher Columbus. Bellamy’s Pledge, which did not include the phrase “under God,” appeared in a magazine called <em>Youth’s Companion</em>. After a lobbying campaign by the magazine (which, incidentally, made money selling American flags to schools), it was adopted for use in public schools as part of a daily flag-salute ritual. Congress added the words “under God” to the Pledge in 1954, again as a reaction to the fight against communism.</p><p>In short, the Founders had nothing to do with these religious mottos or their adoption.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Myth Six: Thanks to separation of church and state, kids can’t pray in public schools.</strong></p><p>The U.S. Supreme Court in 1962 and 1963 banned programs of government-sponsored, compulsory prayer and Bible reading in public schools. The high court did not invalidate truly voluntary prayer and hasn’t done so since then.</p><p>It’s important to realize what was going on in many public schools prior to these rulings: Children were forced to take part in daily religious rituals. In New York, a state body known as the Board of Regents drafted an official prayer and urged local school districts to adopt it. In Pennsylvania, a law required that the school day begin with readings from the “Holy Bible” – generally interpreted to mean the King James Version.</p><p>These practices were not voluntary; they were imposed on everyone – Christian and non-Christian. Thus, they amounted to a significant violation of parental rights.</p><p>Young people in public schools today may pray and read religious books in a non-disruptive way – but the choice is now theirs. No students can be compelled to take part in religious worship in a public school or singled out for refusing to do so.</p><p>Public school students can engage in a variety of voluntary religious activities. Most secondary schools must abide by the federal Equal Access Act. This legislation allows students to form and run a variety of clubs that meet during “non-instructional” time. Some of these clubs are religious in nature. All are voluntary; no one has to attend.</p><p>In addition, the Supreme Court has made it clear that public schools can teach about religion in an objective manner. Religion can be discussed in classes like history, art, literature and others. The Bible and other religious texts can even be read as part of a comparative religion course. As long as the approach has legitimate educational goals, public school officials will not get into trouble for teaching about religion.</p><p>To sum up, there is plenty of room for religion in public schools, but it must be voluntarily chosen.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Myth Seven: Separation of church and state fosters secularism, which drains religion of its vitality.</strong></p><p>Official government secularism is not the enemy of faith; it is the defender of it. A secular state is one that is neutral on matters of theology. An official policy of government neutrality toward religion is a positive thing for faith communities.</p><p>Think of government secularism as a platform. The principles of religious freedom and the right of conscience rest on that platform. Because the government has no official theology, all faiths on the platform are free to spread their doctrines and seek adherents among the population. They do so vigorously, but they must rely on private channels, not government assistance, to spread their doctrines.</p><p>The United States is a perfect example of how an official doctrine of secularism helps religion. In this country, the government long ago adopted a hands-off attitude toward religion. As a result, hundreds (if not thousands) of specific faith groups have sprung up on our shores. Religious groups remain vital, and most Americans claim a religious affiliation.</p><p>Other Western nations have either established churches or some form of government aid to religion. Ironically, it is in these nations where religion is withering away. It would seem that the official tie between church and state and the rejection of secularism as a legal principle sap faith of its vitality. In the end, religion becomes a mere creature of the state and a tool for promoting whatever policies government leaders decide are appropriate. This is not what people want, and they turn away from religion.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Myth Eight: Separation of church and state means that government must be hostile to religion.</strong></p><p>In some countries, houses of worship are shuttered by government mandate, and religious people are persecuted. Nothing like that has occurred in the United States, which operates under the separation of church and state.</p><p>The separation principle contains two key parts: The government is to refrain from promoting, sponsoring or advocating for any faith. Yet at the same time, the government is required not to meddle in the internal affairs of religious groups or impose undue regulations and oversight on them. Church-state separation protects religion by placing it beyond the reach of government.</p><p>American history is replete with examples of religious groups that used the First Amendment to protect their rights. If the United States had not adopted separation, these groups would have been left unprotected and subjected to state control.</p><p>Religious groups in America receive many benefits. They are wholly tax exempt and are often free from the regulatory oversight that is imposed on similarly situated secular groups. They are free to lobby and speak out on political issues. They often receive special exemptions and preferential treatment in secular law. Far from experiencing hostility, the place of religion in this nation where we separate church and state is in many ways exalted.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Myth Nine: Most religious leaders don’t support separation of church and state.</strong></p><p>Some of the earliest proponents of separation of church and state were religious leaders. Roger Williams, a Puritan clergyman and the founder of Rhode Island, strongly advocated for separation during the colonial era. Years later, clerics like John Leland and Isaac Backus demanded separation as the best vehicle to protect the right of conscience for all.</p><p>In colonial Virginia and elsewhere, clergy from Baptist, Presbyterian and other traditions worked alongside Enlightenment thinkers like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison to secure church-state separation. These religious leaders knew that only separation could protect their faith and enable it to prosper.</p><p>In the modern era, many members of the clergy continue this proud tradition of support for church-state separation. Many religious denominations are on record as officially sup­porting the concept.</p><p>A minority of religious leaders disagree. Most of them belong to fundamentalist denominations that seek to use the power of government to control other people and impose their regressive dogma.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Myth Ten: Separation of church and state stifles the public voice and presence of religion.</strong></p><p>Anyone who believes this hasn’t been paying attention. The United States operates under separation of church and state, yet religious groups have a loud and robust public voice. They speak out – from the left, right and center – on any number of political issues. As tax-exempt entities, houses of worship are not permitted under federal law to endorse or oppose candidates for public office, but there is nothing to stop them from addressing issues. Many do. Consider just one issue that has been prominent lately: marriage equality. Houses of worship have been vocal on both sides of the debate. Many people have strong opinions about this issue, and religious denominations that oppose same-sex marriage have certainly encountered spirited opposition – but no one has tried to sanction or punish them for their views.</p><p>Nor does separation of church and state result in what one foe of the principle called a “naked public square.” It’s true that government may not post or erect religious symbols, but private religious groups are often able to use public space to display them with their own money and on their own time. All that is required is that the government must treat all religious and secular groups equally; if access to public space is extended to one group, it must be extended to all. This is a simple matter of fair play, and it usually results in a vibrant public square full of many symbols, not a naked one.</p><p> </p><p>In a 1787 letter to Madison, Jefferson urged his protégé, “Educate and inform the whole mass of the people….They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.”</p><p>Jefferson’s words are a reminder that our religious liberty is only as secure as we make it. If the American people don’t understand the origins of the principle and how it has been applied – if they buy into Religious Right mythology instead of historical reality – religious freedom and its corollary, separation of church and state, will be very insecure indeed. </p></div></div><a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><h3 >Religious Right Activists Love To Spread False Information About The Separation Of Church And State. Here Are Ten&nbsp;Rebuttals:</h3><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Featured</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/school-prayer">School Prayer</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-mottos-pledges-and-resolutions-outside-schools">Religious Mottos, Pledges and Resolutions (outside schools)</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/responding-common-attacks-church-state-separation">Responding to Common Attacks on Church-State Separation</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/history-and-origins-church-state-separation">History and Origins of Church-State Separation</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/legal-foundations-church-state-separation">Legal Foundations of Church-State Separation</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10837" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state">
The <span class="cs-month field">February</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2015</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
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<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/featured/persecution-complex">Persecution Complex</a></h3>
<h4>It&#039;s Enshrined In The First Amendment, But Religious Freedom Is A Principle Some Groups Still Have To Fight For</h4> </div>
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<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/featured/subsidies-sunk">Subsidies Sunk</a></h3>
<h4>Ky. Officials Decide To Reject $18 Million In Taxpayer Support For Fundamentalist-Themed &#039;Ark-Park&#039;</h4> </div>
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<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/featured/myths-debunked">Myths Debunked</a></h3>
<h4>Religious Right Activists Love To Spread False Information About The Separation Of Church And State. Here Are Ten Rebuttals:</h4> </div>
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<h4>Books That Support Church-State Separation</h4> </div>
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<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/featured/venal-vandal">Venal Vandal</a></h3>
<h4>Fla. Tea Partier And &#039;Catholic Warrior&#039; Attacks Religious Display At State Capitol Building</h4> </div>
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<div class="cs-department" id="section-editorial"> <h3>Editorial</h3>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/editorial/politicians-at-prayer-their-goal-is-usually">Politicians At Prayer: Their Goal Is Usually Winning Votes, Not Souls </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/editorial/a-troubled-voyage-ky-ark-park-never-deserved">A Troubled Voyage: Ky. ‘Ark Park’ Never Deserved Taxpayer Aid </a></span> </div></li>
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</div></div></div>Mon, 02 Feb 2015 15:45:00 +0000Timothy Ritz10840 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/featured/myths-debunked#commentsKy. Legislature Votes To Display ‘In God We Trust’ Signshttps://au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/ky-legislature-votes-to-display-in-god-we-trust
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Eleven legislative rooms in the Kentucky Statehouse will display signs reading “In God We Trust” thanks to a private donor.</p><p>The Lexington <em>Herald-Leader </em>reports that the signs are a temporary measure, and they will eventually be replaced by permanent displays that will show an updated version of the state seal in addition to the national motto. The Kentucky legislature passed a measure calling for the signs in 2006.</p><p>Kentucky Senate President, Robert Stivers (R-Manchester) gave an explicitly sectarian rationale for the measure.</p><p>“This is America,” he said. “I feel like this nation was and is established by God. We need to show the same respect in the committee rooms that we show in the Senate and House chambers.”</p><p>Stivers added that he was working on a “religious freedom” bill to introduce in the legislature this year.</p><p>But church-state separation advocates questioned the move, while noting that the courts have ruled the national motto is constitutional. Rob Boston, Americans United’s communications director, explained the group’s position to the <em>Herald-Leader</em>. “We just believe that government is supposed to represent everyone — the religious and non-religious,” he said.</p><p>The ACLU’s Kentucky affiliate agreed. “But separation of church and state is one of the basic principles in our country,” said spokeswoman Amber Duke. “It protects both religious and non-religious persons.”</p><p>Duke also suggested that a non-profit called “In God We Trust” encouraged the legislature to display the signs, noting the group had been “shopping these signs around to legislators in various states.”</p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AU Bulletin</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-mottos-pledges-and-resolutions-outside-schools">Religious Mottos, Pledges and Resolutions (outside schools)</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10837" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state">
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kentucky">kentucky</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/god-we-trust">in god we trust</a></span></div></div>Mon, 02 Feb 2015 15:45:00 +0000Timothy Ritz10849 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/ky-legislature-votes-to-display-in-god-we-trust#commentsJudge Rules Pa. Muslim May Not Swear On Quranhttps://au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/judge-rules-pa-muslim-may-not-swear-on-quran
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>A Pennsylvania judge forbade a Muslim woman from swearing on the Quran before taking the witness stand in a custody dispute. The ruling upholds a state law that requires witnesses to swear on the Christian Bible or make a non-religious affirmation before offering testimony.</p><p>The woman had argued that the state’s law violated her religious liberty rights and exhibited a preference for Christianity over Islam and other religions.</p><p>Her estranged husband, who opposes her in the custody dispute, swore on a Bible, although he too identifies as Muslim. He told the court that the woman’s refusal to swear on a Bible or make a non-religious affirmation served as a sort of witness intimidation, since it could be construed to imply that his testimony would be less than truthful as he swore on a non-Islamic book. </p><p>As the mother noted in her objection to the requirement, other states, like North Carolina, permit the use of holy books that are not the Bible. But the judge rejected that argument, finding instead that the statute as worded applied to the case.</p><p>The case is <em>Musaitef v. Musaitef</em>.</p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AU Bulletin</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-mottos-pledges-and-resolutions-outside-schools">Religious Mottos, Pledges and Resolutions (outside schools)</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/outside-workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice-including-military-prisons">Outside the Workplace: Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice (including in the Military, Prisons, Housing, Healthcare, etc.)</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/legal-foundations-church-state-separation">Legal Foundations of Church-State Separation</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10837" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state">
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<div class="cs-department" id="section-editorial"> <h3>Editorial</h3>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/editorial/politicians-at-prayer-their-goal-is-usually">Politicians At Prayer: Their Goal Is Usually Winning Votes, Not Souls </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/editorial/a-troubled-voyage-ky-ark-park-never-deserved">A Troubled Voyage: Ky. ‘Ark Park’ Never Deserved Taxpayer Aid </a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-people--events"> <h3>People &amp; Events</h3>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/people-events/mich-town-officials-vote-to-stop-displaying">Mich. Town Officials Vote To Stop Displaying Cross After AU Intervention</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/people-events/au-warns-la-governor-over-plans-to-host">AU Warns La. Governor Over Plans To Host Official Prayer Rally </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/people-events/lawsuit-over-calif-cross-may-spark-land-sale">Lawsuit Over Calif. Cross May Spark Land Sale To Private Group </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/people-events/mont-officials-insist-clerks-don-t-have-to">Mont. Officials Insist Clerks Don’t Have To Serve Same-Sex Couples</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/people-events/au-warns-ohio-governor-over-church-sponsored">AU warns Ohio Governor Over Church-Sponsored Mentoring Program</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/people-events/atlanta-fire-chief-facing-heat-for-anti-gay">Atlanta Fire Chief Facing Heat For Anti-Gay Comments </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/people-events/fired-teacher-wins-discrimination-case-against">Fired Teacher Wins Discrimination Case Against Ind. Catholic School</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-8 views-row-even views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/people-events/orthodox-jewish-group-announces-major-push-for">Orthodox Jewish Group Announces Major Push For School Aid In New York</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-au-bulletin"> <h3>AU Bulletin</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/senate-confirms-religious-freedom-ambassador">Senate Confirms Religious Freedom Ambassador</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/nc-veterans-memorial-case-settled">N.C. Veterans Memorial Case Settled</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/muslim-inmate-forced-to-attend-christian">Muslim Inmate Forced To Attend Christian Services</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/ky-legislature-votes-to-display-in-god-we-trust">Ky. Legislature Votes To Display ‘In God We Trust’ Signs</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/so-called-religious-freedom-bill-fails-in-mich">So-Called ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill Fails In Mich. </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/sc-legislature-considers-several-troubling-bills">S.C. Legislature Considers Several Troubling Bills</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-7 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/judge-rules-pa-muslim-may-not-swear-on-quran">Judge Rules Pa. Muslim May Not Swear On Quran</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-8 views-row-even views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/around-the-world-worldwide-atheist-persecution">Around The World: Worldwide Atheist Persecution On The Rise, Says Report</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-perspective"> <h3>Perspective</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/perspective/hats-in-the-ring-early-questions-for">Hats In The Ring: Early Questions For Presidential Contenders</a></span> </div></li>
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/quran">Quran</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/courtroom-oaths">courtroom oaths</a></span></div></div>Mon, 02 Feb 2015 15:45:00 +0000Timothy Ritz10852 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/judge-rules-pa-muslim-may-not-swear-on-quran#commentsWhat If God Doesn’t Want It?: Ala. Town Declares Itself Property Of The Almightyhttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/what-if-god-doesn-t-want-it-ala-town-declares-itself-property-of-the
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">If God owns the town of Winfield, Ala.,, does that mean he’ll be picking up the property taxes? </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Officials in the town of Winfield, Ala., passed an interesting resolution last month: They declared that <a href="http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/01/reaction_mostly_positive_after.html">God owns their community</a>.</p><p>“Whereas we acknowledge God is the owner of the City of Winfield and that it is a City under God. We acknowledge that at all times, He is in control,” reads a resolution that passed the city council unanimously.</p><p>It goes on like this for several more sentences. The town officially endorses prayer and acknowledges that “the City of Winfield is where it is today because of God’s grace and mercy.”</p><p>The town’s mayor, Randy Price, told the news website AL.com, “I feel like we need to stand up for what is right. Our forefathers said ‘One nation under God’ and we went so far away from that. There are not enough godly people involved in day-to-day decisions.”</p><p>Price owns a towing service in town and displays the Ten Commandments at his business. Sounding more like a preacher than a politician, he remarked, “I’m going to step on a lot of people’s toes but there’s not but one God and, that one God, to Him be the glory. There’s no other way; there’s no other God. There are a lot of religions out there but only one God.”</p><p>Glad we got that cleared up.</p><p>Now, I’ve never been to Winfield, a town of about 4,500 in northwest Alabama. I think the chances that I will ever get there are slim – although the town’s annual <a href="http://winfieldsmuleday.com/">Mule Day Festival</a> sounds like fun for the whole family. But I do have some questions for Mayor Price and the city council: If God owns the town, does that mean he’ll be picking up the property taxes? Should residents just pray if they need a pothole filled? Where does God stand on the burning zoning issue, which I read about in the local newspaper, of the Winfield man who wants to open a store selling guns and musical instruments out of his house?</p><p>More to the point: Did anyone ask God if he really wants to own this town?</p><p>Look, I’m sure that officials in Winfield don’t literally believe that God owns their town – at least I hope they don’t. But these folks need a history lesson. Price speaks of “forefathers” who declared America one nation under God.</p><p>Who exactly were these people? I challenge Mayor Price to name them.</p><p>The phrase “under God” was slipped into the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954. Before then, we were simply “one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” The “forefathers” had nothing to do with that change – unless President Dwight D. Eisenhower counts as a forefather.</p><p>The members of the city council could also use a lesson in tolerance. Their job is to represent everyone – even the lonely atheists who may reside in Winfield. Right now, they’re not doing that. City officials are wading into theological matters and elevating one version of faith over others as well as over non-faith. That’s not part of their job description.</p><p>I did a quick search online, and it looks like there’s no shortage of houses of worship in Winfield. Let the men and women who pastor those facilities handle the God stuff. The city council can stick to issues like zoning, taxes, public services – and, of course, planning this year’s Mule Day Festival.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-mottos-pledges-and-resolutions-outside-schools">Religious Mottos, Pledges and Resolutions (outside schools)</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/winfield">Winfield</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/alabama">Alabama</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/randy-price">Randy Price</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/mule-day-festival">Mule Day Festival</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/president-dwight-d-eisenhower">President Dwight D. Eisenhower</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/under-god">under god</a></span></div></div>Mon, 12 Jan 2015 15:40:59 +0000Rob Boston10812 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/what-if-god-doesn-t-want-it-ala-town-declares-itself-property-of-the#commentsSecular Group Loses Colo. Day Of Prayer Lawsuit https://au.org/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/secular-group-loses-colo-day-of-prayer-lawsuit
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled 5-2 that an atheist group lacks the standing to challenge the state’s Day of Prayer proclamations.</p><p>In the majority opinion, Chief Justice Nancy E. Rice wrote, “Although we do not question the sincerity of Respondents’ feelings, without more, their circuitous exposure to the honorary proclamations and concomitant belief that the proclamations expressed the Governor’s preference for religion is simply too indirect and incidental an injury to confer individual standing.”</p><p>The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation filed suit on behalf of four Colorado citizens who objected to the proclamations, which are issued annually by the governor to coincide with the national Day of Prayer event. According to the Durango <em>Herald</em>, Mike Smith, David Habecker, Timothy G. Bailey and Jeff Baysinger are FFRF members and identify as atheists.</p><p>The FFRF slammed the ruling in <em>Hickenlooper v. Freedom From Religion Foundation</em>. Its co-president, Annie Laurie Gaylor, said in a statement, “Under today’s precedent, if Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper decided to proclaim a state religion, no state citizen would have the right to challenge him!” </p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AU Bulletin</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/prayer-at-government-events-and-legislative-meetings">Prayer at Government Events and Legislative Meetings</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-mottos-pledges-and-resolutions-outside-schools">Religious Mottos, Pledges and Resolutions (outside schools)</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10769" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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The <span class="cs-month field">January</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2015</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/preaching-student-is-curbed-by-officials-in-wash">Preaching Student Is Curbed By Officials In Wash. </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/alaska-town-rejects-end-of-church-sales-tax">Alaska Town Rejects End of Church Sales Tax Exemption</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/ex-navy-chaplain-loses-legal-fight-over-dismissal">Ex-Navy Chaplain Loses Legal Fight Over Dismissal </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/md-school-district-secularizes-calendar">Md. School District Secularizes Calendar</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/mo-war-memorial-removes-christian-symbol">Mo. War Memorial Removes Christian Symbol </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/secular-group-loses-colo-day-of-prayer-lawsuit">Secular Group Loses Colo. Day Of Prayer Lawsuit </a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-people--events"> <h3>People &amp; Events</h3>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state/people-events/texas-approves-pro-moses-social-studies-books">Texas Approves ‘Pro- Moses’ Social Studies Books Amid Controversy</a></span> </div></li>
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/colorado-day-of-prayer">Colorado Day of Prayer</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/freedom-religion-foundation">Freedom From Religion Foundation</a></span></div></div>Wed, 31 Dec 2014 20:00:00 +0000Timothy Ritz10792 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/secular-group-loses-colo-day-of-prayer-lawsuit#commentsOath Offense?https://au.org/church-state/november-2014-church-state/featured/oath-offense
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Former U.S. Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), who spent 22 years in the U.S. Army before being forced into retirement amid a scandal, claims anyone who wants to serve in the armed forces but won’t say the words “so help me God” as part of the enlistment oath isn’t a real American.</p><p>“I proudly and honorably took the oath of office as a commissioned officer several times and also as a Member of Congress,” West said on his website in September. “That’s what Americans do.”</p><p>West’s comments were in reference to a recent controversy out of Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada, where an anonymous atheist airman who wanted to reenlist was initially prevented from doing so because he refused to say the part of the enlistment oath that includes the words “so help me God.”</p><p>Although the matter has since been resolved thanks in part to a letter from Americans United, and the anonymous airman eventually reenlisted, this incident is yet another tale of the problems caused when religion and government mix.</p><p>When it comes to military oaths of allegiance, however, it was not always this way. America’s military oaths were originally secular, but it is interesting to note that they were altered to include God primarily during times of trouble in the American Revolution, the Civil War and the Cold War. </p><p>The concept of soldiers taking an oath of allegiance prior to the commencement of their service dates to at least ancient Rome. Known as the <em>sacramentum</em>, the purpose of the oath was to formally bind soldiers to their generals and establish the ground rules for military service – namely that a soldier must obey all orders no matter what.</p><p>Since the power of many Roman emperors was based largely in their military might rather than their personal popularity, such oaths took on real significance. In fact, some scholars have argued that Roman soldiers had a quasi-religious obligation toward their leaders, with the <em>sacramentum</em> providing evidence of this immense level of devotion.</p><p>Later periods followed a similar pattern regarding oaths in that they were mainly about promising fidelity to an individual, usually a monarch, rather than to a state or a body of laws, such as the U.S. Constitution. Since the Founding Fathers abhorred monarchies, they sought to break with tradition and excluded specific leaders from the enlistment oaths in the United States.</p><p>But the Founders lived in a time of upheaval; given the very real prospect that the American Revolution might not succeed in the early years, the first oaths were modified several times in a short period. Some of these included God, some did not.</p><p>The very first oath for enlisted soldiers, passed as part of the creation of the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, made no mention of a deity: “I _____ have, this day, voluntarily enlisted myself, as a soldier, in the American continental army, for one year, unless sooner discharged: And I do bind myself to conform, in all instances, to such rules and regulations, as are, or shall be, established for the government of the said Army.” </p><p>That oath was soon modified, just four days after Gen. George Washington won his first battle of the American Revolution, at Harlem Heights on the northern end of Manhattan. On September 20, 1776, the Continental Congress approved an oath that, once again, made no reference to God.</p><p>The new oath read, “I _____ swear (or affirm as the case may be) to be true to the United States of America, and to serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies opposers whatsoever; and to observe and obey the orders of the Continental Congress, and the orders of the Generals and officers set over me by them.”</p><p>But just one month later, things had changed. Following a naval defeat of Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold (who later defected to the British) on Oct. 11 at Valcour Island on Lake Champlain in New York and a loss for Col. John Glover at the Battle of Pell’s Point in what is now the Bronx on Oct. 18, it was evident the Continental Army had its hands full.</p><p>Three days after Glover’s defeat, a new oath for officers was approved by the Continental Congress. It concluded with the words “so help me God,” making it the first version of an American military oath with a religious reference.</p><p>That oath, which applied only to officers, read in part: “[T]hat the people [of the 13 states] owe no allegiance or obedience to George the third, king of Great Britain; and I renounce, refuse and abjure any allegiance or obedience to him; and I do swear that I will, to the utmost of my power, support, maintain, and defend the said United States against the said king, George the third, and his heirs and successors, and his and their abettors, assistants and adherents; and will serve the said United States in the office of _____, which I now hold, and in any other office which I may hereafter hold by their appointment, or under their authority, with fidelity and honour, and according to the best of my skill and understanding. So help me God.” </p><p>And so the officers’ pledge remained for two years. The Americans had shown their determination to fight, but the situation was grim. Washington’s army spent the winter of 1777-78 camped at Valley Forge. It was a miserable time, as the future president’s force was beset by unusual cold, inadequate lodging and supply shortages.</p><p>Indeed, a letter from Washington written Feb. 7, 1778, painted a bleak picture: “The spirit of desertion among the Soldiery, never before rose to such a threatening height, as at the present time. The murmurs on account of Provisions are become universal, and what may ensue, if a better prospect does not speedily open, I dread to conjecture.”</p><p>That same month, the Continental Congress once again made minor changes to the oath for officers – but kept “so help me God.”</p><p>Of course, the oaths created during the revolutionary period predated the U.S. Constitution, meaning there was no First Amendment binding the Continental Congress. But once the Constitution was in force, the Founding Fathers saw fit to exclude God from the very first version of the United States’ Army oath. It was approved Sept. 29, 1789, and it was very similar to the 1775 oath. It also included a section in which soldiers must “swear or affirm (as the case may be) that I will support the constitution of the United States.”</p><p>For the next 161 years, soldiers enlisting in the U.S. Army recited the 1789 version of the oath. Not so for the men who commanded them, however. First there was a slight modification in 1830, but the most significant move came in July 1862 when U.S. officers were first required to say “so help me God.”</p><p>That change occurred at a time when the Civil War was not going well for the United States. In the spring of that year, President Abraham Lincoln hoped he could end the war quickly by capturing the Confederate capital at Richmond, Va., so he dispatched Maj. Gen. George McClellan and approximately 65,000 men of the Army of the Potomac to fight its way there from Washington, D.C.</p><p>During what would become known as the Peninsula Campaign, McClellan proved unworthy of the task as he was consistently outmatched and outwitted by his Confederate opponents, including Gen. Robert E. Lee. By the end of June, McClellan was forced to withdraw to Washington in defeat. His army suffered more than 25,000 casualties over a period of four months. So it was under adverse circumstances that government officials once again interjected God into public life, even though it was constitutionally dubious to do so.</p><p>(The changes to the officers’ oath in 1862 didn’t end with God; the federal government also sought to weed out Confederates and southern sympathizers by inserting the words: “I…do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I have never borne arms against the United States since I have been a citizen thereof; that I have voluntarily given no aid, countenance, counsel, or encouragement to persons engaged in armed hostility thereto; that I have neither sought nor accepted nor attempted to exercise the functions of any office whatsoever under any authority or pretended authority in hostility to the United States.…”) </p><p>It was not until 1962, however, that all enlisted soldiers had to recite “so help me God” in the official Army oath. This was, of course, the height of the Cold War, a time when America’s government actively tried to distance itself from the supposedly “godless” communists of the Soviet Union. But according to Chris Rodda of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), change also came about, at least officially, for the sake of consistency: Congress wanted the enlisted oath to reflect the oath for officers, which had long included “so help me God.”</p><p>As for the Air Force, which was a branch of the U.S. Army until 1947, it adopted the same religious oath in 1962 to comply with the change made in the army. </p><p>Although the addition of God to a government oath pleases the Religious Right, it has also caused a great deal of controversy. Seemingly not content with requiring enlistees and officers to take a religious oath before beginning their formal service, the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1984 added “so help me God” to its pre-existing honor code.</p><p>The code had been around since 1959, but retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Hans Mueh, now athletic director at the Air Force Academy, said a serious cheating scandal showed the code wasn’t taken seriously.</p><p>“In 1984, we had a situation in a Physics 411 course that resulted in widespread allegations of cheating,” Mueh said. “It was so widespread that the superintendent, Lt. Gen. Skip Scott, suspended the code and granted amnesty for a short period of time to allow all cadets to report previous violations of their personal honor.…”</p><p>So, Mueh added, the Academy chose to attach an oath to the code and “[T]o add more seriousness to the oath, we decided to mirror the commissioning oath and add the words, ‘so help me, God.’”</p><p>Not everyone was pleased with this addition, especially give the absence of God from other military academy oaths. So following a complaint from MRFF, the Academy made use of the God language optional.</p><p>“Here at the Academy, we work to build a culture of dignity and respect, and that respect includes the ability of our cadets, Airmen and civilian Airmen to freely practice and exercise their religious preference — or not,” Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson, the academy’s superintendent, said in an October 2013 statement. </p><p>Even with that matter settled at the Academy, it still appears the Air Force has some work to do when it comes to inclusion. In August, when the atheist airman was denied the opportunity to reenlist because he would not say “so help me God,” the American Humanist Association and Americans United wrote letters to the Pentagon, asking that the airman be permitted to re-join without being forced to swear to God. The Air Force claimed its hands were tied – only Congress had the right to accommodate an atheist.</p><p>That did not sit well with AU.</p><p>“Lest there be any confusion, the U.S. Constitution trumps conflicting requirements from federal statutes: ‘a law repugnant to the constitution is void,’ and ‘courts, as well as other departments, are bound by that instrument,’” AU’s letter stated, quoting the U.S. Supreme Court. </p><p>Not surprisingly, the Religious Right jumped on the soldier and defended the oath.</p><p>“There is no place in the United States military for those who do not believe in the Creator who is the source of every single one of our fundamental human and civil rights,” Bryan Fischer, the director of issues analysis for the American Family Association wrote. “Serving in the military is a privilege, not a constitutional right. And it should be reserved for those who have America’s values engraved on their hearts. A man who doesn’t believe in the Creator the Founders trusted certainly can live in America without being troubled for being a fool. But he most certainly should not wear the uniform.”</p><p>But thanks to public pressure, the Air Force reversed course in September.</p><p>“We take any instance in which airmen report concerns regarding religious freedom seriously,” Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James said in a statement. “We are making the appropriate adjustments to ensure our airmen’s rights are protected.”</p><p>Critics of mandatory oaths point out that such controversies could be avoided if all military oaths dropped the words “so help me God,” a move the Founding Fathers would likely support.</p><p>“So, why don’t we just get back to the intent of the founders…?” Rodda said in an article for The Huffington Post. “The founders who wrote the first military oath under the Constitution in 1789 did not include the words ‘So help me God,’ so their intent was obviously that these words not be part of the oath.” </p></div></div><a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><h3 >The Long, Complicated History Of &#039;So Help Me God&#039; In The&nbsp;Military</h3><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Featured</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-mottos-pledges-and-resolutions-outside-schools">Religious Mottos, Pledges and Resolutions (outside schools)</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/outside-workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice-including-military-prisons">Outside the Workplace: Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice (including in the Military, Prisons, Housing, Healthcare, etc.)</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10638" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/november-2014-church-state">
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/military">Military</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/us-army">U.S. Army</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/united-states-air-force">United States Air Force</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/air-force">Air Force</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/so-help-me-god">so help me god</a></span></div></div>Mon, 03 Nov 2014 15:30:00 +0000Timothy Ritz10640 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/november-2014-church-state/featured/oath-offense#commentsSt. Louis AU Instrumental in Religious Liberty Winhttps://au.org/blogs/in-the-field/st-louis-au-instrumental-in-religious-liberty-win
<a href="/about/people/ms-elizabeth-corbin">Beth Corbin</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/in-the-field">In The Field</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">St. Louis AU ... provided a religious voice for why church-state separation is important to both people of faith and non-believers alike.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><div>The Board of Aldermen in Ballwin, Mo., recently voted 6-2 against posting an “In God We Trust” plaque in their meeting room. The Knights of Columbus had pledged to donate $750 to cover the expense.</div><div> </div><div>Working with area secular groups, St. Louis AU and ADL provided a religious voice for why church-state separation is important to both people of faith and non-believers alike.</div><div> </div><div>St. Louis AU Chapter President Cynthia Holmes delivered stirring testimony before the Board, as did secular activist Nikki Moungo. AU chapter members, the St. Charles Community Secular Student Alliance group, and other supporters filled the meeting room.</div><div> </div><div>Holmes gave council members a different perspective to consider: "Americans United has members who are Catholic, Baptist, Buddhists, Muslims, humanists, atheists and numerous other religions -- and none. Our position is that government should not endorse religion. Your responsibility is to all Ballwin residents, and you should not do something that would make anyone feel excluded. For that reason I asked you to reject the proposal."</div><div> </div><div>Before the vote, media representatives and some in attendance were sure that only two members of the Board would vote “no.” In retrospect, Holmes said her “heroes were two Aldermen, who are members of the same parish as the Knights of Columbus chapter proposing [the plaques], who voted no.”</div><div> </div><div><div>It’s not often that we can celebrate a win in these challenges. Only Allegheny County, Pa., where an 8-6 vote stopped “In God We Trust” from being displayed in the local court house, and now Ballwin can claim victories.</div><div> </div></div><div><em>Let’s work to make this list grow!</em></div><div> </div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-mottos-pledges-and-resolutions-outside-schools">Religious Mottos, Pledges and Resolutions (outside schools)</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/chapter-action">chapter action</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-chapter field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Chapters:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/chapters/saint-louis">Saint Louis</a></div></div></div>Thu, 25 Sep 2014 21:09:53 +0000Ms. Beth Corbin10528 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/in-the-field/st-louis-au-instrumental-in-religious-liberty-win#commentsThe Deity Debate: It’s Time To Talk About Our National Motto https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/the-deity-debate-it-s-time-to-talk-about-our-national-motto
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">&#039;E Pluribus Unum&#039; has long roots in American history. It was invoked by some founders and appears on the Great Seal of the United States. &#039;In God We Trust,&#039; by contrast, was adopted during the anti-communist hysteria of the 1950s as a slap at the Soviets. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>About 12 years ago, <a href="http://www.bakersfieldcity.us/administration/mayor_council/bios/sullivan.htm">Jacquie Sullivan</a>, a member of the Bakersfield, Calif., City Council, got the bright idea that every U.S. city and county should display signs reading, “In God We Trust.”</p><p>Sullivan began by <a href="https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/motto-mania-calif-woman-promotes-government-endorsed-%E2%80%98in-god-we-trust%E2%80%99">pushing the idea</a> to local officials in her home state, but soon the movement had gone nationwide through a group Sullivan formed called <a href="http://www.ingodwetrust-america.org/">In God We Trust America</a>. The issue pops up regularly in towns and counties across the country. Many of these local legislative bodies approve the motto without much debate.</p><p>But it doesn’t always work out that way. Recently in Allegheny County, Pa., the county council <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2014/09/09/In-God-We-Trust-will-not-be-displayed-on-Allegheny-County-Courthouse/stories/201409090233">voted 8-6</a> not to display “In God We Trust” at the county courthouse.</p><p>Council member Michael Finnerty said he believes church and state should be separate.</p><p>“Whenever we start mixing them, there’s going to be some problems,” Finnerty said.</p><p>Allegheny County surrounds Pittsburgh. With more than 1.2 million residents, it is Pennsylvania’s second-largest county. This is a big deal. The failure of the motto to pass there could slow the “In God We Trust” momentum in other areas.</p><p>Many parts of the country are true melting pots of diversity, especially in large urban and suburban areas. Local officials are aware of this, and at least some of them prize that.</p><p>After the vote, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said in a statement, “I am pleased that Allegheny County will continue to be a community that welcomes diverse populations with different viewpoints and ways of life. This vote makes it clear that all people, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or belief system, are welcome here.”</p><p>Proponents of the postings usually argue that it’s no big deal. “In God We Trust” is our national motto, after all, so why not hang it up on the walls of government?</p><p>It’s true that the phrase was adopted by Congress as a national motto in 1956. Prior to that, the United States had an unofficial motto that many people believe is more fitting for our diverse nation – “E Pluribus Unum,” Latin for “Out of many, one.”</p><p>“E Pluribus Unum” has long roots in American history. It was invoked by some founders and appears on the Great Seal of the United States. “In God We Trust,” by contrast, was adopted during the anti-communist hysteria of the 1950s as a slap at the Soviets. As a legal scholar once cheekily told me, “It sounds like Iran on the installment plan.” (Plus, let’s just admit it: A Latin motto really classes up the joint in a way “In God We Trust” never can.)</p><p>Over the years, the use of “In God We Trust” on U.S. currency has been challenged in court. Judges have rejected these cases, however, asserting that the motto is an acceptable form of “ceremonial deism” – that is, the tendency of government to invoke God in generic forms for nationalistic purposes.</p><p>Such logic is tortured, and one gets the sense that these courts are trying to dodge the issue. That’s a shame.</p><p>When government posts “In God We Trust” in public buildings for all to see or stamps it on money or slips “under God” into the Pledge of Allegiance, it sends a constant reminder to those who don’t trust in God -- or even believe in one, for that matter – that there’s something wrong with them. After all, real Americans trust in God, so what does that make you non-believers? You are outsiders, and while you may be tolerated, you can never be fully integrated into the American experiment.</p><p>Let’s be clear: The government has no business ever sending that message to any of its citizens. America stands for the proposition that all of us stand equal in the eyes of the state, no matter what we believe or don’t believe about God. That’s the ideal, at least, but we’ll never reach it as long as the government sends the message that people of faith are considered superior to those who have none.</p><p>I’m glad Allegheny County voted down posting “In God We Trust.” I wish that action would spur a national conversation on the wisdom of retaining a divisive national motto that increasingly excludes more and more Americans.</p><p>That discussion is long overdue. </p><p> </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-mottos-pledges-and-resolutions-outside-schools">Religious Mottos, Pledges and Resolutions (outside schools)</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/jacquie-sullivan">Jacquie Sullivan</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/bakersfield">Bakersfield</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/allegheny-county">Allegheny County</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pittsburgh">Pittsburgh</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/michael-finnerty">Michael Finnerty</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/rich-fitzgerald">Rich Fitzgerald</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/god-we-trust">in god we trust</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/e-pluribus-unum">E Pluribus Unum</a></span></div></div>Mon, 15 Sep 2014 14:49:04 +0000Rob Boston10483 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/the-deity-debate-it-s-time-to-talk-about-our-national-motto#comments